Koldunic Sorcery
Koldunic Sorcery or Koldunism is a form of Cainite blood magic practiced by the Tzimisce. It is similar to Thaumaturgy in idea but very different in practice. Major differences include Koldunic Sorcery requiring the service of the living earth rather than memorized rotes and rituals, Koldunism tending to be much more subtle than Thaumaturgy, and Koldunism requiring not so much an extension of will as being a master of the very material a Fiend wishes to manipulate. Despite being considered a form of "Blood Magic" it generally requires no expenditure of blood by the caster. The ancient Tzimisce who cultivated this power knew the difficulties of hunting in their territories and thus instead invoke their powers through enslaving the spirits of the land. Practitioners of Koldunic Sorcery are known as koldun and are almost exclusively Old Clan Tzimisce. Many "regular" Tzimisce are unable to practice Koldunism, having turned away from the spirituality and perfection this form of sorcery requires to master. However, Koldunic Sorcery is by no means "good"; constant use will cause the very land and earth to eventually warp around the user. It is hinted that Koldunic Sorcery is made possible through the Tzimisce connection with the earth demon Kupala, who helped drive the Garou away from the Carpathians and allowed the Fiends to establish the area as their homeland. There are five primary paths of Koldunic Sorcery: Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Spirit. Lesser paths, such as the Way of Sorrow, do exist, but are rarely followed and are usually specialized extensions of the five primary paths. Standard Paths and Abilities The Way of Earth * Grasping Soil - A koldun can use dirt to immobilize a target. * Endurance of Stone - A koldun can harden their flesh to the consistancy of stone. * Hungry Earth - A koldun can drag a target completely underground, smothering them. * Root of Vitality - Similar to Hungry Earth, except the target is now able to breathe underground and can be healed. * Kupala's Fury - A koldun calls on Kupala to create a powerful earthquake. The Way of Wind * Breath of Whispers - A koldun uses the wind to communicate with a target over long distances. * Biting Gale - A koldun creates frigid winds that slow or freeze a target. * Breeze of Lethargy - A koldun summons winds that bring exhaustion. * Ride the Tempest - A koldun can ride the winds at incredible speeds to any destination. * Fury of the Night Sky - A koldun may project the full measure of his anger into the night sky. Churning gray clouds blot out stars and moon, unleashing spiraling gusts and a driving downpour of freezing rain. Lightning arcs overhead, each thunderous flash casting jagged shadows. The Way of Water * Pool of Lies - A koldun creates detailed illusions on the water's surface. * Watery Haven - A koldun may merge with water to protect themselves from the sun and foes, much as those who use Protean can merge with earth. * Fog Over Sea - A koldun can walk on water. * Minions of the Deep - A koldun summons water elementals to do his bidding. * Doom Tide - A koldun creates a massive whirlpool that can sink ships and drag targets to the depths. The Way of Fire * Fiery Courage - A koldun permanently diminishes the difficulty to resist Rötschreck regarding fire. * Combust ''- A ''koldun ''causes a target to spontaneously combust. (Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy) * ''Combust - A koldun causes a target to spontaneously combust. * Magma Surge - A koldun causes magma to bubble up to the surface. (Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy) * Wall of Magma - A koldun summons magma from deep beneath the earth to protect themselves. * Heat Wave - A koldun creates a blistering wind that can kill a target. * Volcanic Blast - A koldun can create a volcanic geyser to erupt anywhere within their sight. The Way of Spirit This way may expressly exceed a rating of 5, but no distinct powers exist for each level of the Way of Spirit. Instead of levels of ability, a koldun extends their spiritual awareness over a larger area the more powerful they become on this path - once a koldun extends his senses with this path, he may evoke powers of other Koldunic Sorcery paths anywhere within the territory. Rating '- ''Radius of Effect • 50 feet •• 100 yards ••• Quarter-mile •••• 1 mile ••••• 5 miles ••••••+ 10 miles per dot over 5 Within this territory, the koldun sees, hears, smells and even tastes everything at once. As with Auspex, the mystical senses conferred by the Way of Spirit may confound Obfuscate and other forms of illusion or concealment. However, no power may be used in this fashion if that poweer has a level exceeding the vampire’s rating in the Way of Spirit. Elder koldun who achieve such an inhuman power grow detached from individual people and events that do not concern their domains as a whole. The Way of Sorrow * The Frustrations of Nestretcha' - A ''koldun makes it so that the target can not use willpower for successes or to use them for disciplines. This last for turns equal to the koldun's successes * The Insults of Krivda - A koldun causes a target to fly into an uncontrollable rage and target the koldun * The Weeping of Kruchina - A koldun causes a target to cry uncontrollably in intense misery * The Misfortune of Chernogolov - A koldun makes it so that the target loses two successes on every roll. This last for turns equal to the koldun's successes * The Starvation of Marena - A koldun can create a frosty gale that blast the victim and leaves him emaciated as if he had just survived the coldest of winters References *DAV: Players Guide to High Clans, p. 182-189 *VTM: Clanbook: Tzimisce Revised, p. 64 *VTM: , p. 131-132 Category: Blood Magic (VTM) Category:Discipline (VTM)